Pirate Engagement

I totally forgot to post this! In September I got together with Barbra and Ian and did their engagement portraits that have a hint of pirate about them for their pirate themed wedding next summer of 2014. Its going to be so much fun!

Mature Shaggy Mane Mushrooms

Tired of my mushrooms yet? Well... this will be the final post about them (for this year anyhow!)  The Shaggy Manes have matured and look super cool right now! They have the black inky bottoms and are starting to curl upwards. The ink is really inky... its dripping every where... I got it all over my hands and on the camera just taking these pictures but, totally worth it. I just love having something like this in my own back yard. Looking forward to doing the Mushroom Tour next Thanksgiving in Vernon with Mom!!

Neat hey?!

Shaggy Mane Mushroom Disected

I can't explain my mushroom fascination lately... clearly I have nothing better to do. This is another shaggy mane mushroom that I found about 5 feet away from the clumps and its much bigger than the others. What is neat is when you break it open, the mushroom smell is very fragrant. The top kind of just sits on the stem and has a lot of movement... kind of like a bell.

This mushroom is starting to get the inky coloring around the bottom that is what happens when these mushrooms mature. Cool hey?

Shaggy Mane Mushrooms

I found something cool in our backyard! Last night I was cleaning up apples off the ground for the green waste removal today and I found a bunch of mushrooms growing out of the ground… without really thinking about it I started knocking them down because I didn’t want Kona to start munching on something that I have no clue whether its poisonous or not. Then I remembered I had heard that there are tonnes of varieties of mushrooms in the Okanagan so I stopped wrecking them so I could figure out what they were. This morning (since it got too dark last night) I did some research and took some pictures (of course) and discovered I have Shaggy Mane growing in our back yard! They are edible… so I blocked off the area they are growing to protect them from the dogs to see what happens. I don’t know if I will eat them but it’s a really neat thing to have growing in the yard!

I did some research to find out more about them and here is a bit about Shaggy Mane Mushrooms if you're interested!

Shaggy Mane

Coprinus comatus

• cap is up to 15cm wide, narrow, cylidrical, white, and covered in thin, shaggy red/brown scales.
• older specimens have a cap that is bell-shaped.
• flesh is white, soft.
• gills are narrowly attached to the stem and white/grey when young.
• the flesh and gills of older specimens liquefies into a black inky mass.
• partial veil leaves an inferior, possibly moveable ring on the white stem.
• grows scattered or grouped together in grassy areas covering decomposing wood.
• appears in early spring and late fall.
• has a pleasant taste with no odor; cook before eating.
• tip: collect younger specimens and/or remove blackening areas which have a more bitter taste.
• tip: cooking with water shortly after collecting helps to prevent the dish from turning into a black inky mess.
• an edible look-alike is Coprinus sterquilinus, which similar in appearance but smaller, with fewer scales and growing on dung.

Info taken from http://northernbushcraft.com/mushrooms/shaggyMane/notes.htm

Thanksgiving Dinner

We made it back from target shooting at around 3pm so I was able to get the Turkey in the oven and on schedule for a normal dinner time! I had prepped most of my veggies when I was making breakfast (along with fresh buns) so there was no need to panic about anything.

Serving up Turkey dinner

Did I forget to mention that I made my famous 4 layer pumpkin cake? It had to be done... it was soooo good!

This Thanksgiving I had a lot to be thankful for... I am thankful for my new husband, my new family, my new home and a great life with everyone that fills it. When I think back about my most memorable Thanksgivings... I always remember the year when we were kids that we were too poor to have a turkey and had mushroom soup for thanksgiving dinner. I also remember a very special trip to Orillia when I was living in Windsor Ontario to visit Grandma, Aunt Ruth, Aunt Evelyn and the rest of the Ontario family. I had to take a 9 hour bus ride to see them all but I got to spend that special weekend seeing family homes, graveyards, trying real maple for the first time. I will never forget it and will never forget how good that home cooked meal tasted after living on my own for a while. I think this thanksgiving will also go down on my list of most memorable... we really had a wonderful time! 

Thanksgiving Target Shooting

We decided to take Lorissa and Doug out target shooting before Thanksgiving dinner. We ended up being out for 3 hours! Doug was unsure that Lorissa would enjoy this but she loved it!

Setting out targets. We stopped and got some thanksgiving colored balloons along the way at Jeanie's favorite dollar store in Peachland.

Brian teaching firearm safety

A cow we all thought might have been a bear... that was so funny

Learning about the rifle

Lorissa's first shots through the Sprite can with the 22

Doug taking a turn!

This is an air pistol... no one worry!!! It wasn't nearly as exciting as the rifle and shotgun!

Lorissa was a natural with the shotgun... I can't even shoot that thing! I'm impressed!

Thanksgiving Weekend with Doug & Lorissa

Brian and I were excited to have Doug and Lorissa come out for Thanksgiving weekend! Saturday to Monday... our longest stay for guests yet! Brian cleaned out the office so we could get the air mattress set up so Lorissa could have some privacy also.

I made up a big breakfast Sunday morning as the plan was to have an early dinner (Turkey!)

Everyone enjoyed their breakfast... Everyone is a fan of my non Buttermilk, Buttermilk pancakes! (I use vinegar and 1% milk!)

Pancakes, Bacon, Sausage, Eggs and OJ!

A quick but fun visit as always...

I got in another visit with the girls over at Julie's place before going for Coffee with Nadia and then dinner at Mom and Elliott's and then heading on my way home again!

Cali is learning all her colors and did such a great job of her books!

Dad and Jeanie popped over... they took a 2nd look at the wedding album that I brought out to show everyone this weekend. I am leaving it with Mom so it can get passed around.

Sophie and Cali with their new hot dog cutters from Jeanie.

Aldor Acres Pumpkin Fun Run

Nadia and I did the Aldor Acres Pumpkin Fun Run/Walk 6km in Fort Langley. This is the 3rd time we have done this race (didn't go last year unfortunately)... I am not in the same shape I was before as I am not totally trained up like I used to be! Time to get going on that again! It was a beautiful morning and a challenging but great course as always. Felt great to be back out there again!

Oh yea... I think my time was 53 min... so really only 7 min worse than my previous times! Not bad!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

I got up bright and early to drive out to Abbotsford for Mom's Birthday party and Pumpkin Fun run on Sunday with Nadia. I got the truck all packed up with Cupcakes, Cookies and Jam (oh my!) and made my way out just in time for the Spa party put together for Mom.

The Kids and Mom with their Cupcakes (I stole your picture Julie!!)

The spa party was great as always... 3rd time we have seen them this year, what a treat... hope to see them again (I love getting my Toe Nails done with French Polish...) It was a fun birthday party and nice to see everyone!

The kids with their Halloween Cookies... yes, I did load them all up with sugar! That is what Aunties do!

Cookies and Cupcakes!

It wouldn't be the Halloween time of year unless I made my Halloween Cookies for the kids... I wasn't going to do it and then I figured I had a bit of a tradition going so I better keep it up! I didn't do as many as I normally do and I changed them a little... still lots of fun... plus, I needed to make Mom's birthday cupcakes!!

Chocolate Cupcakes with chocolate mouse inside, a multi colored butter cream rose with butterfly gummy decorations... sounds good right? 

Candy Corn Cookies! No, I didn't make the Ghosts holding the candy corn... leave that to Wilton to make super cute embellishments!

As Brian says... those are Holly Pumpkins... I like my pumpkin face styles! haha... simple but cute!

The Curse of the Okanagan Fruit

Who doesn't love Okanagan fruit? We all do... its amazing! I have only recently learned since living here that if you aren't just passing through town and grabbing some fruit on your way, its a lot of work!!  When we first bought our house I wanted to get more fruit trees for the back yard after realizing we had an apple tree. Now... no way! That one apple tree produces so much fruit I don't know what to do with it all! And our super nice and very generous neighbors have given us more fruit than I would ever know what to do with (as some you know since I have filled your freezers with it too!) We have received....

• Apricots
• Logan Berries
• Grapes a few times
• Italian plums several times
• Zucinni
• Peaches a few times
• Walnuts (grossest thing ever to harvest... ugh worms)

I think I am going to have to learn how to can... I don't see any way around it! I made jam for the first time out of the last batch of fruit we received.... peach (shown above) and grape jelly... then of course I saved it to give away to the family! I feel like such a country kitchen homemaker...

Cozy Couch